Improving local tea cultivation

Dang Thi Huong

16-year-old Dang Thi Huong lives with her parents and 4 brothers and sisters on one of the many tea farms in Ban Luoc. A year ago, after a bug infestation devastated their crops, she was forced to drop out of school to help out on the farm.

It was the beginning of a difficult time for Huong's family and despite their efforts; they struggled to keep their trees alive. "When any of the trees got pests, we'd cut them down so it wouldn't spread. It was a hard choice but we don't know what else to do," says Huong.

While the land and weather in Hoang So Phi are ideal for tea cultivation, agricultural knowledge has been a big gap among local farming families. "Most of our farmers apply old cultivation methods," says Tong, the head of a newly-formed agricultural committee. "As a result, tea production has been very low."

When Plan learned about the need for better farming knowledge among local families, we delivered agriculture training to almost 300 people in 10 villages throughout Hoang So Phi, which has equipped families like Huong's with the skills they need to improve their crops and incomes.

"We've learned how to protect our trees from pests," says Huong, "as well as the best time to pluck leaves and the right number to take. We've got better produce now and we're selling it at a better price."

About Plan International

Founded in 1937, we are one of the world’s oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, we have only one agenda: to improve the lives of children.